Some thoughts on children’s vulnerability to non-think and evolution.

All children are born 'atheists' by definition, since there don't have any beliefs anyway. That's not to say atheists don't believe in anything, but by de facto, all babies are atheists.

Children's brains have evolved to believe anything they are told, for very good evolutionary reasons. For our ancestors, any child who didn't listen to his/her parents/elders about not going near the swamp where there are crocodiles, for example, would be dead. Any child, in that kind of environment, who applied a scientific experimental approach, would have died long before they were able to pass on their genes.

One can picture the scenario where there is a man and his son thousands and thousands of years ago going hunting, and the man will teach his son all the 'science' in catching prey; how to look for footprints and how old the footprints are, for instance. Also knowing that the prey is likely to be near the waterhole at high sun, et cetera.

But when they catch or kill an animal, the man then turns to his son and tells him "Now we have to give thanks and pray to the forest gods." The child simply cannot tell the difference between VALUABLE information and NONSENSE.

Evolution is a fact. Anyone would realise this if they only went to the fantastic straining lengths of opening up a biology text book.

It’s not that I 'want' evolution to be true. It’s not that I have a deeper need to feel good and better about myself by believing that it is true. Its that, it IS true. Demonstrably! If you can't accept evolution, then that's your problem. Evolutionary theory is the basis for ALL modern medicine, resting on the fundamental FACT that life EVOLVES, and hence, so do viruses. If you can't accept this and yet still go to the doctors for medicine, then you're a complete hypocrite.

I am an atheist because a) there is no evidence for the existence of god (convincing yourself in private is not evidence), and b) I see no reason to believe. Even if a god *could* be demonstrated and tested, and shown to exist, then so what?

It’s like a rock star that everyone wants to get in the picture frame with just to make themselves feel special. The difference is that a rock star gloats about it, but actually exists, and god doesn't gloat about it precisely because he doesn't exist.

The 'A's vs. The 'R's

Atheists and Agnostics know more about religion than religious people.